12 year old dropped to 50% weight

[ItsEitherWhereYouLeftItOrTidy]

Hi all,

My only just 12 year old DD is 50% for weight and 98% for height. She looks like a stretched version of Kate Moss in her waif days. Should I be concerned? I’m almost 100% certain there are no food issues. In fact she looks just like her father did in his youth, all limbs and gangly. I’m only concerned because I’ve heard the children shouldn’t stray far from their percentiles. She’s usually 75 for weight and 91 for height. Since puberty she’s been getting taller and taller and not putting weight on. No periods yet, she’s about 6.5 stone.

Thank you

I looked like a sticky insect at that age, it is quite common.
Periods are linked to the body fat %, so skinny girls get periods later.

Don't push for unhealthy food in an attempt to put some flesh on her.

Yes, that’s exactly her, stick insect!
I won’t push her to eat. I’m really wary about that. She does like a variety of foods, plenty of healthy and not so healthy choices.
I’ll try not to worry. It’s just the drop from a steady 75% for weight that shocked me. She’s been 75 forever!

I think it's good that you're keeping an eye out just in case. Check there's nothing going on like over exercising or anything like that. Hopefully it is just a puberty quirk

My 13 year old is the same. She has rocketed in height in the past six months but not really gained any weight. No periods yet either. I’m not overly concerned as no food issues - she eats more than I do! Just the growth spurt before it all sets in. The weight should catch up.

My DD was the same around that age.When she was 13 she was 5ft6 inches tall and weighed 6.5 stone.She was extremely athletic and ate well.Her periods started when she was 14.
As long as your DD is eating well and appears healthy I wouldn't worry too much.

Thanks all, she’s definitely not over exercising. She loved sporty things but for the fun of them, not the exercise.
I expect you’re all right, growth spurts before the weight gain. I’m sure she’s always done that but this is quite extreme!

My child is similar. Shot up in height, huge hands and feet, really long arms. He’s 5’3” and weighs 5 Stone. I think he’s on like the second percentile.

I'm sure everything is fine, but my dd was exactly like yours and has just spent 10 days in hospital with anorexia.

Please watch her carefully and step in the second you think something is wrong.

I wouldn't want another mother to go through what I'm going through.

Has she actually lost weight or is it just the percentile shifting. If she has lost weight, then check in with the GP. If its just the percentiles then keep a close eye for the next 6 months or so and put an extra dollop of butter on her jacket potato for a while.

Sorry, I think my title was badly worded. I don’t think she’s lost weight, rather the percentile of weight has shifted.
I’m so sorry Tr1Skel, anorexia is an awful illness. I’m almost certain that’s not the issue but I’m watchful.

Didn’t think of doing the NHS BMI test until just now. She comes in at a healthy weight, but only just, by a few percentiles.

I think a stretch vertically at puberty is normal, it doesn't get reflected in percentile charts since it can happen at a variety of ages and the stretch averages out once they have sampled enough kids. If she hasn't actually lost any weight I wouldn't worry

Someone has to have a 3rd percentile BMI, and they're no more or less healthy than a child with a 85th percentile BMI.

Thanks AuntyJack, that is incredibly reassuring.

My DD was like this up until last year age 13 and now she's filled out at nearly 14 over the last 3 months with bigger boobs, thighs and bum although her waist is not much bigger. DD is delighted at the overnight change

They tend to fill out coming up to 14

I wss like that as a teenager and have always eaten like a horse and really enjoyed my food. I would just keep a quiet eye on her.
Incidentally, I assumed that was just my metabolism. Until the menopause.

Looking back DD grew upwards first in height so looked too skinnny for a year or so then she grew outwards.

I knew someone whose daughter was like that, and it was just growing taller before filling out. She ate healthily and exercised normally and didn't have food issues. However, she got a lot of non-verbal praise for the very slim look, as well as some comments about how lucky she was to be naturally slim, how small a size she could wear, etc, and the general admiration of society of thinness and horror of fat, that it then became somewhat difficult for her when she began to put on some weight and filling out with curves - totally natural, but it was harder for her to accept than if it had happened earlier. And she did then become very conscious of weight and food, and had a somewhat less good relationship with food in her later teens, though avoided (I think) an actual eating disorder. So might be an idea to try as much as possible to avoid her hearing lots of positive comments about being thin, and to remind her that changing shape later on doesn't mean she is getting fat.

Thank you all for your very helpful comments.
Yes, I’m not mentioning her weight or looks to her at all. It’s not as if she’s seeing anyone else to mention them either. I have noticed these comments in the past though.
In the past We’ve talked about how our bodies are always changing it’s just that she’s at an age where she notices it. Can you imagine how odd it would be for babies to realise what’s happening to them?
The only reason we did weight and height was to put it on the wall at the start of the New Year. The scales are usually tucked away and dusty.

My 13 year old has a BMI that is just inside normal - 2nd percentile. The nurse said he's fine for a teenager - he's grown up but not out yet.

Good to know Clymene. I wish I could remember what her BMI used to be but it’s not something I’d have measured often.

It's common for 12-14 year old girls to vanish when they turn sideways practically, I certainly did, my legs were like sticks at that age. No eating disorder or anything, it's just a growth spurt thing and then they fill out - if her eating is fine and she feels fine then there's nothing to worry about.

I was tiny at that age, I'm not sure what weighed but I remember my mum weighing me and my step sister at 11.5 when we were starting secondary school and I weighed only 4.5 stone! I only weigh 7 stone now so at 13 I imagine I weighed less than your daughter. My periods started at 13, I think when you start is effected by weigh but also a lot to do with genetics.

Two of mine were very mismatched for height and weight, they are both slim athletic build now and tall. The older one has really struggled to "bulk up" for her weight training and her periods keep stopping 🤦🏼‍♀️